What has the EU ever done to us?

What has the EU ever done to us? Here are just 25 of the nails that the EU has used to pierce through the armour of the Sovereignty of the British Isles. We won’t let them finish the job.

Jaguar Land Rover stopped making its Defender in the UK because of EU laws on fuel emissions. It is now set to be built abroad outside the EU.

In 2007, the Peugeot factory in Ryton, Coventry closed down (2,300 job losses) and moved to Slovakia with the help of £78m EU funding.

Britain’s remaining ferry service to Scandinavia (DFDS Harwich to Esbjerg) ended in 2014 after 140 years service – because of an EU Directive.

‘3000 police cars foreign made’. Police say they are powerless to offer contracts to British car factories because of EU procurement rules.

Before the UK entered the EEC/EU, unemployment stood at 2.6%. It is now 5.6% (1.85 million – May, 2015).

Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are thriving because they are not encumbered by Euro bailout costs and extortionate EU membership fees.

There were 25 EU Free Trade Agreements in force in 2012 while the Swiss (non-EU) had independently negotiated 26.

The EU’s Landfill Directive has been responsible for some councils ending their weekly bin collections. Most major landfill sites in UK are owned by Viola a French company.

EU specified light bulbs cost 500% more than filament bulbs. Some people complain that the EU specified light bulbs produce a lesser quality of light and cfl’s contain mercury, a poisonous neurotoxin and phosphors. Health issues affecting those that suffer from light sensitivity.

It’s been suggested that VAT on domestic fuels should be cut from 5% to zero. But 5% is the minimum allowed under EU law.

Less than 10% of Britain’s GDP represents trade with the EU, yet Brussels regulations afflict 100% of the UK economy.

Britain will pay £100 million a year more to the European budget over the next five years. (Telegraph: 03/12/2014)

Article 42 3. gives the EU the power to begin the process of standardising the military forces of the member states via the EDA.

Britain receives just 49p of every £1 paid to the European Union. (Sunday Express & Business for Britain, 12/07/2015)

TTIP will undermine data privacy by making it easier for companies to gain access to individuals’ personal details for commercial purposes.

EU Commission will block public access to all documents related to TTIP negotiations for 30 years. (EU/US negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero)

TTIP will downgrade food safety rules (including restrictions on GMOs), regulations on the use of toxic chemicals and data protection laws.

TTIP will allow corporations to sue the UK under the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clause.

European crime gangs are operating in the UK with impunity due to EU open borders. Gov’t estimates there are 13k trafficking victims in the UK. The UK are unable to check if an individual has a previous criminal record with the rest of the countries in Europe due to EU legislation.

HoC library’s 13% UK laws made in Brussels figure doesn’t include EU regulations which are transposed into law without passing through parliament.

The House of Commons library say 13.3% of UK laws now come from Brussels. European Commissioner Viviane Reding says it’s 70%.

Net EU contributions together with the adverse impact on business here of EU regulations will cost the UK more than £20billion in 2015.

There’s no economic benefit in the UK remaining in the EU. EU regulations cost our businesses alone over £9.4bn, according to the BIS.

True but it won’t happen. They’d potentially join us in EFTA but not in a political union. Personally I’m hoping that the introduction of passport controls between Britain and Ireland post Brexit means that we can divest ourselves of the ‘British’ part of the latter. The Irish border has always been insecurable and for political reasons, border controls are not going to be resurrected along it. Getting rid of Northern Ireland would also be hugely beneficial for Britain from both an economic and security point of view. Let the Irish decide whether they want their island run by one or two jurisdictions.